Leeds head of security at the game recalled police officers lining the corridors in Galatasarays ground as the players emerged from the dressing room; an attempt, in his eyes, to intimidate them as they prepared to go onto the pitch. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray Others suggested a group of Leeds supporters had attacked a lone Turk, possibly a taxi driver, who had then returned with a mob wielding knives and machetes. I genuinely feared for our lives. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. But it was common sense. The setting was Turkeys biggest city, on the banks of the Bosphorus, and the game was the first leg of a UEFA Cup semi-final. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. The Turkish. Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed during street clashes the night before Leeds played Turkey's Galatasaray in the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-finals in April 2000. We looked up the steps and all you could see at the top was the dark sky and riot shields around the entrance to the pitch. Leeds supporters who were present denied causing trouble and the UK coroner who presided over the inquest, David Hinchliff, stated in unequivocal terms that Speight and Loftus were the innocent victims of a deliberate ambush. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As chairman of Leeds, he told the UEFA official that it would make sense to postpone the first leg of the semi-final which Leeds and Galatasaray were about to play. The police were doing nothing to stop them. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. pleasant grove high school / staff directory; dr omar suleiman wife esraa; ontario road trip summer; song baseball apple; waltham athletic club tennis schedule; galatasaray leeds death. The images are so vivid in Peter Ridsdales mind that he can describe every aspect of the hospital where Speight and Loftus were taken after they were attacked. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. On April 5 2000 two Leeds fans, Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, were stabbed to death before the 2000 Uefa Cup semi-final first leg against Galatasaray in Taksim Square, Istanbul The 45-year-old was an unused sub when Leeds were defeated by Galatasaray in an infamous 1999-00 Uefa Cup semi-finals - a match that was overshadowed by the death of two Yorkshire fans in the . Disgusting. I had joked with him and said, At least youll be safe. He gave me a look and said, Or maybe not., The attitude as far as I could see was, Lets intimidate these lads and see what happens. Leeds back then had a lot of kids in their squad. [22] The riots did not spread to the stadium, although there was an attempt to pull down the fences by fans heading towards the Arsenal area of the stadium before police stopped them. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. He had been involved in the plane crash which Leeds players and coaches escaped from on the way home from a Premier League game at West Ham United in 1998. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV Obviously he liked his football too. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. [10][12] This led to the final being considered "high risk"; 2,000 members of the Danish police were assigned to the game, with assistance from members of British and Turkish police forces. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? In the early hours of the morning after the death of two Leeds United supporters in Istanbul, Peter Ridsdale met with a delegate from UEFA at one of the citys police stations. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. Can you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. By that stage he was exhausted. When they landed at Leeds-Bradford airport, a Leeds United club car was waiting to pick them up from the runaway, avoiding the cameras waiting inside. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). Ridsdale and Leedss operations director, David Spencer, were at a floating restaurant on the Bosphorus when they were phoned to tell them trouble in the centre of Istanbul had resulted in at least two fans being hospitalised. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. Thats what they were, kids. Man United respond to Leeds hostility with thrilling win as Harry When the second leg came round, in the dressing room we were trying to say, Come on, lets get stuck into them. But in the back of your mind youre putting football aside. He was on the scene as the club grieved and as much as any other of David OLearys players, he was in a position to fully comprehend both the impact of the killings and Galatasarays response to them. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. There was the time when the pub opened its doors early to allow the locals to catch an early kick-off between Leeds and Manchester United. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. Former Leeds United Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The lasting impact has been to see the devastating effect it's had on Christopher and Kevin's families. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Your choice, the official replied. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. Even then, it was meant to be closed to the press but loads of them were there and they were being really intrusive, Fallows says. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. Later in the evening, a group of around 20 Leeds supporters broke off and found their way to the Riddim bar near Taksim Square, the huge expanse in the centre of Istanbul which was filled with places to eat and drink. For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. [34] The Copenhagen riots followed a long line of similar events involving English football fans, and in June, UEFA's executive committee listed the Heysel Stadium disaster, disorders in Charleroi and Brussels, the killing of the two Leeds fans in Istanbul, and the Copenhagen riots and warned the British government that if there was any more rioting then England would be expelled from Euro 2000. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour Another picture, taken by the Yorkshire Evening Posts Mark Bickerdike, shows Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate stepping from the tunnel with tangible shock on their faces. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. [2] His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. [30] In total, nineteen people were injured and sixty people were arrested,[27] with 15 of the arrested being subsequently banned from attending Euro 2000. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror It was completely against your idea of law and order. 12/02/2021 . We could only do what we thought was best at that moment. The journey to the stadium prior to kick-off made him wish he had forfeited it and taken the consequences. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. [47] Michael Doherty, the chairman of the Communication Workers Union, and his brother Tom took Royal Mail to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal claiming they had been acting in self-defence. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The images of that never grow old. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. Galatasaray tragedy will stay with Leeds United and Eirik Bakke forever
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